Texas Rangers fans on Jake Odorizzi trade: "Rangers won this trade and got a pretty solid pitcher" "We're going to the World Series"
The Texas Rangers have officially acquired former All-Star pitcher Jake Odorizzi from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for lefty Kolby Allard and cash. The 32-year-old Odorizzi spent the first half of the 2022 season with the Houston Astros before being dealt to the Braves on deadline day for Will Smith.
We've acquired RHP Jake Odorizzi and cash considerations from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for LHP Kolby Allard. https://t.co/F5GVumKb9E
"We've acquired RHP Jake Odorizzi and cash considerations from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for LHP Kolby Allard." - @ Texas Rangers
The news became a talking point amongst Texas Rangers fans, who saw the team suffer from horrible pitching during the 2022 campaign. The Rangers posted the fourth-worst ERA in the entire league with 4.63 last season. With Odorizzi's arrival, some even suggested that the Rangers could make a playoff appearance.
One fan tweeted:
"Rangers won this trade and got a pretty solid pitcher."
Another jokingly suggested that they'd go to the Fall Classic:
"We're going to the World Series."
Here are the rest of the reactions from the Rangers fans:
@Rangers W https://t.co/YG5bi5EBza
@Rangers WS ring Jake Odorizzi!!! Js
big dub twitter.com/Rangers/status…
@Rangers Solid pickup
I like this. I like this a lot. twitter.com/rangers/status…
I like it. Slides in to the back of the rotation. Holds the spot for most or all of the year until Leiter/Rocker is ready. twitter.com/rangers/status…
@Rangers Great pick up, not the greatest numbers, but I trust the staff to get him fixed up by next year
Odorizzi and Garver together again! twitter.com/rangers/status…
Odorizzi exercised his player option with the Atlanta Braves before being dealt which in effect means that they will cover $10 million of his $12.5 million salary.
During the 2022 season, the starter had a 4.40 ERA in 22 starts and a 6-6 win-loss record. He'll be reunited with his former battery partner Mitch Garver in Texas. They last worked together in 2019, when Odorizzi was named to his first All-Star team after going 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA for the Minnesota Twins.
Texas Rangers continue the rebuild
With Odorizzi in the fray, the Texas Rangers now have a stable hand on the back of their rotation. Jon Gray remains the only stable pitcher in their rotation in the lineup and the possibility of bringing in Dane Dunning and Glen Otto as regular starters is still being discussed.
The Rangers continue to be sort of a rehab facility for veteran pitchers as they've managed to extract and get the most out of them during their stints in Arlington. Mike Minor, Kyle Gibson, and Martin Perez are just some of the examples as the trio made their respective first appearances in the MLB All-Star game during their time playing for the Rangers.
With Texas making big-money signings at the plate with the likes of Corey Seager last year, it is a relief to see that they are now trying to address their biggest concern heading into the 2023 season, which is their pitching.